Posted on June 14 2019
The purists of the sport may not enjoy reading this but I will be the first to admit, I am all on board the tippet ring train. Companies like Rio have been selling tippet rings for years but it seems like they have really taken off recently as more and more people became aware of the benefits they offer. Here are a few ways tippet rings make my life easier.
- Easy set up. You don’t need to worry about a big jump in leader/tippet size. With a tippet ring, you can go from 0X to 5X if you want. A thinner diameter piece a line wont cut through the thicker piece because the two are not tied together. You simply put a knot (improved clinch is my preference) to each end of the tippet ring and you are good to go.
- Following up the previous point, it allows for a quicker set up. Some beginners struggle with line to line connectors like the Blood Knot. No need for one if you have a tippet ring..
- They make your leader last! This is my personal favorite benefit of the tippet ring. If you are using a fluorocarbon leader, you are costing yourself some good coin every time your line breaks and you need to retie. With a tippet ring, I will use an all fluorocarbon leader to the ring. Then tie a slightly lighter piece of fluorocarbon off of the ring to my fly. If I ever break off, I can just retie off of the ring, I am never cutting into the leader itself.
- They serve as a great attachment point for tungsten puddy. I love using tung puddy but it is frustrating when you attach it to the knot on your leader just to have it fall off. The puddy sticks very well to a tippet ring allowing you to easily add/subtract a specific amount of weight.
- Having a small tippet ring on your line is not enough to sink a dry fly. You know those all fluorocarbon leaders that people love to fish to pressured trout? You can use one with a tippet ring and still fish a dry fly.
- Creative rigging opportunities. I have even seen people fish a “Drop Shot” type of set up with tippet rings. They have their leader coming in from one end, then tie a piece of tippet off the bottom with a chunk of weight on there, then tie their flies on a third piece of tippet from the middle of the ring. At first this sounded like one big tangle to me but I have watched people effectively fish this set up. And if their weight ever gets snagged on the bottom, the can break just that off and save their flies.
Do you have any other ways that a Tippet Ring has made your life easier?
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